CFA Society San Francisco Podcast

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dr. Julian Vogel, Assistant Professor of Finance at San Jose State University.

Dr. Vogel earned his PhD in Business Administration, Finance from The University of Texas at El Paso, and has lived, studied, and worked in several countries and regions across Europe and the United States. In his research and teaching, he focuses on corporate finance - especially capital structure - corporate payout policy, diversity, and corporate governance, as well as investments, and capital markets and institutions.

Listen to the full interview, where Julian discusses new trends in financial research.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nadia Patel, CFA, Executive Director at Pacific Alliance Group (PAG). PAG is an Asian investment firm that manages multiple asset classes, including private equity, private debt, real estate and hedge funds.

Prior to joining PAG, Nadia served as director and head of west coast distribution for BlackRock’s Financial Institutions Group, where she was responsible for overseeing the firm’s investment management relationships and activities with insurers. She serves as the Chair of Finance on the board for Pivotal, a Silicon Valley non-profit that supports foster youth to realize their educational and career goals and ensure their equitable access to opportunity.

Listen to the full interview, where Nadia discusses trends impacting insurance investment portfolios. 

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Don Hejna, CFA, CAIA, FDP, Sr. Principal Data Scientist at Accenture and Managing Director at Stantum LLC. He specializes in quantitative finance, big data, machine learning, artificial intelligence, and portfolio optimization. 

He is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves as co-chair on the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC).

Listen to the full interview, where Don discusses all things generative AI including large language models such as chatGPT and the impact of AI on careers.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Michael Firestone, CFA, Founder and Managing Partner at Fire Capital Management ("FCM"). FCM is a boutique investment management firm that provides High Net Worth private wealth management, Ultra High Net Worth multi-family office advisory, and private foundation investment & impact OCIO services.

In addition to his leadership and management responsibilities, Michael serves as lead Client Advisor, Portfolio Manager, and Investment Strategist. Prior to founding FCM, he served as Portfolio Manager and Managing Director at Fiduciary Trust International, a HNW wealth management and trust company. 

Listen to the full interview, where Michael discusses entrepreneurship and starting his own investment management firm.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Jennie Chen, Managing Director at X1 Asset Management LLC - an algorithm driven alternative investment firm specializing in spot Forex. 

At X1, Jennie plays a key role in developing and managing client-risk-profile specific investment strategies with quantitative portfolio optimization, dynamic risk mitigation, and algo-driven capital allocation. Prior to X1, she was a management consultant at PwC, covering technology, financial, and healthcare sectors.

She is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves on the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Jennie discusses all things foreign exchange markets including fintech, algorithm-based trading, and alternative investing.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Steve Biggs, CFA, CFP, CAIA, Managing Director - Head of Alternative Investments at The Mather Group. 

Steve joined The Mather Group through the acquisition of HC Financial Advisors in August 2022, where he operated as the Chief Investment Officer and a Principal. Prior to HC Financial Advisors, he was a Senior Analyst of Zacks Investment Research, Senior Equity Analyst of Manning & Napier, and Principal of Wells Capital Management.

He is is an active member of CFA Society San Francisco and serves as Co-Chair for the Member Programming Advisory Council (MPAC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Steve discusses alternative investing and private markets.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Liz Morley Olinger, CFA, Treasury Manager at Zscaler. Prior to joining Zscaler, she was a Treasury Manager on the Capital Markets team at Cisco. 

In addition to holding the CFA designation, Liz is pursuing her MBA at Berkeley Haas. She is an active member of the CFA Society San Francisco Young Leaders Council (YLC). 

Listen to the full interview, where Liz discusses all things treasury including career opportunities for CFA charterholders and roles within corporate treasury.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lily Taft, CFA, Portfolio Manager for Main Street Research.

Lily serves on the Investment Policy Committee for Main Street Research where she analyzes client-specific asset allocations, sector exposures, and security selections. She is also actively involved in decision-making related to managing, executing, and implementing trading strategies.

Listen to the full interview, where Lily discusses RIA trends in wealth management and client relationships. 

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Stan Rudoi, CFA, Vice President of Growth and Analytics at Pollen VC. Stan is an expert in finance, product management, and marketing, with a focus on the mobile gaming, fintech, and SaaS industries.

At Pollen VC, Stan plays a key role in developing cutting-edge revenue-based lending products, managing client relationships, and leading the design of specialized financial models, calculators, and dashboards. He advises and invests in mobile companies, helping them optimize capital efficiency, select debt funding partners, fundraise, and develop user acquisition strategies.

Listen to the full interview, where Stan discusses mobile gaming and venture capital.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Nicholas Borst, CFA, Vice President and Director of China Research at Seafarer Capital Partners. Prior to joining Seafarer, he was a senior analyst at the Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, covering financial and economic developments in Greater China.

Nicholas moderated the "U.S. & China Economic Conflict: Implications for Investors and the Business Community" webinar from October 2022.

Listen to the full interview, where Nicholas discusses all things China including recent economic policies, opportunities for investors, and stock volatility.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Dominic Bilotti, CFA, CFP, Vice President and Regional Consultant with State Street Global Advisors/SPDR ETFs.

Dominic works with Broker Dealer Financial Advisors regarding portfolio construction, business development, and client messaging. He is an active CFA Society San Francisco member and sits on the Society's Young Leaders Council, guiding programming for young professionals in the greater Bay Area. 

Listen to the full interview, where Dominic discusses the history and future of ETFs, as the US's first ETF celebrates its 30th year.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with John Ailanjian, CFA, General Partner and CIO for Next Play Capital. John has been instrumental in expanding the firm’s quantitative models to screen and perform due diligence on company investments. He also plays an integral role in the programming and education of Next Play Capital’s Fellowship program. 

Prior to joining Next Play Capital, John was the CEO and Founder of Aspen Highland Management, an entity that provided investment advisory services to several high-net-worth families. John currently serves as a Board Member at CFA Society San Francisco and as an Alumni Board Member at Serra High School. He also serves as an Advisor for the Special Olympics of Northern California and several startups, including Obivi, Lightbrite, and Lumen Global Investments.

Listen to the full interview, where John discusses tech innovations and their impact on global markets, staying afloat through market shockwaves, and venture as an asset class. 

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this month’s episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Christopher Browne, CFA, Chief Investment Officer and Partner at Democracy Investments. The Democracy International Fund assesses democratic factors in countries and allocates based on these criteria with the intention of increasing economic growth for democratic countries.

Prior to joining Democracy Investments, Chris was a Solutions Portfolio Manager for Franklin Templeton Investments, where he advised institutions and family offices on multi-asset portfolio construction. Before his employment at Franklin Templeton, Chris was a fixed-income portfolio manager at California Investment Trust (now Shelton Capital), where he managed all fixed income for the firm. He received his MBA in International Business from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management, and has a BA in English from the University of California – Santa Barbara.

Listen to the full interview, where Chris discusses how capital flow can potentially impact a country’s political environment. 

This episode discusses ESG, international equity indexes, impact investing, ETFs, the spread of democracy, and sovereign wealth funds.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On the September episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Yanrong Chen, PhD,  Business Analyst at EasyAUM. Yanrong is a current Level III candidate in the CFA Program. 

Prior to moving into finance, Yanrong was a history lecturer at KU Leuven in Belgium and was a post-doc researcher at the University of San Francisco. Her research was on communication between Europe and East Asia during early modern globalization. Already a published author and translator in her academic field, Yanrong took a career shift by self-studying finance and software engineering. In addition to pursuing the CFA designation, she is acquiring technical skills in data analysis, quants, and product management. She believes in perpetual learning. That commitment is driving her new career to take off in the industry. 

Listen to the full interview, where Yanrong discusses mid-career industry changes, her experience taking the CFA exam, and how the CFA Program helped her transition into the finance industry. 

This episode discusses career transitions and the CFA Program exam.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On the Season 3 premiere of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Octavio Sandoval, CFA, CAIA, Director of Investments at Illumen Capital. Illumen Capital is an alternative investment firm, working to reduce racial and gender bias and help its managers identify, evaluate, and invest in entrepreneurs who have been overlooked and underestimated. 

Prior to Illumen Capital, Octavio was a leader at MassMutual Life Insurance Company in building the emerging fund manager program, which allocated $50 million to a wide variety of BIPOC-led funds that invest in BIPOC-led startups. He earned a BS in Applied Economics & Management at Cornell University and holds an MBA from MIT Sloan School of Management. Octavio formerly served on the alumni advisory council of the Knowledge Is Power Program (KIPP). 

Listen to the full interview, where Octavio discusses alternative investing and the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion. 

This episode discusses alternative investing, diversity and inclusion, professional designations, volunteerism, and education.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

Hear from Society Board President-Elect, John Jordan, CFA in this special featured episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On the Season 2 Finale of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lana Ariue, CFA, Senior Manager of Insights and Intelligence at Splunk. Splunk is a software firm, specializing in data visualization and machine learning. 

Prior to her transition into the Technology industry, she held positions at various asset management firms including BlackRock, Franklin Templeton, and Parnassus.

Listen to the full interview, where Lana discusses business intelligence, data analytics, professional designations, and career transitions.

This episode discusses professional designations, SQL, career transitions, business intelligence, data visualization, data analysis, and the CFA designation.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Reggie Sanders, CFA, CAIA, Managing Director of Investments at W.K. Kellogg Foundation, and Board Member of Rock the Street, Wall Street. He was previously Manager of Pension Investments for Eastman Kodak Company.  Mr. Sanders is a graduate of Florida A&M University and Harvard Business School, where he was a Robert A. Toigo Fellow. He currently sits on the State of Michigan Investment Board and on the Investment Advisory Committee of the Harry and Jeanette Weinberg Foundation.  

Listen to the full interview below, where Reggie discusses the impact of diversity, equity, and inclusion and its foundational role in finding success. 

This episode discusses diversity, equity, and inclusion, investing, pensions, endowments, and career growth.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Stephen Perkins, CFA, founder and Portfolio Manager at Toronado Capital Management. Stephen was President of the Society from 2014 to 2015. Throughout most of his career as a growth equity investor, he has focused on smaller capitalization public equity investments. 

Listen to the full interview below, where Stephen discusses entrepreneurship, venture capital, interviewing and talent acquisition, and career growth.

This episode discusses entrepreneurship, career development, hedge funds, interviewing,  start ups, talent acquisition, and venture capital.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.

On this episode of the CFA Society San Francisco Podcast, we had the pleasure of speaking with Sanem Alkan, Sr. Advisor with St. Jude Children's Research Hospital. Sanem has led and developed a number of innovative ventures in several sectors, including finance, risk management, technology, and social impact. She has also held several board director and council member roles throughout her career, including as President/CEO of a tech startup (Social Genius) and Council Member at the Juilliard School and New York University. 

Listen to the full interview, where Sanem discusses career growth and her insights into working with nonprofits.

This episode discusses career development, hedge funds, high-net-worth investing, start ups, and nonprofit fund management.

CFA Society San Francisco is a not-for-profit professional association, supporting members of the Northern California investment community and beyond. Learn more by visiting our website or connecting on LinkedIn.

This podcast is provided for general interest only. Content is not intended to be, nor should be interpreted as recommendations or fiduciary advice.